FIFA is considering a new proposal that could bring about a historic transformation to the 2030 World Cup, even though the 2026 edition has not yet kicked off with the new system that will see 48 teams participating for the first time.
According to the Spanish newspaper AS, the idea of expanding the tournament has resurfaced with the support of several continental and national federations, after the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) was the first to propose the idea months ago, with the aim of giving a greater opportunity to teams that rarely qualify for the World Cup.
The newspaper explained that the proposal to increase the number of participating teams to 64 is still under discussion, but it is no longer seen as an unlikely idea within FIFA, especially with FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s move towards expanding global participation and strengthening what he calls “the inclusiveness of football.”
The 2030 edition is expected to be jointly organized by Spain, Morocco and Portugal, with expectations that it will be one of the biggest editions in the tournament's history.
The report indicated that FIFA will not go into the final details of the 2030 World Cup before the end of the 2026 edition, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The 2026 tournament will also witness the emergence of teams participating for the first time or returning after a long absence, such as the Jordanian national team, the Uzbek national team, the Cape Verde national team, and the Curaçao national team.
In another context, AS explained that the idea of holding the Club World Cup every two years seems unlikely at the moment, with the trend continuing towards organizing the next edition only in 2029.
